


The Devil's Deal

by eatthebunny



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: M/M, shorty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 00:32:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6400312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eatthebunny/pseuds/eatthebunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal and Will are back, thanks to a deal with the Devil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Devil's Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe the beginning of something. Maybe not. We'll see.

Will groaned. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his surroundings were completely black, unrelieved by even the slightest glimmer. He coughed and shivered at the pain that scraped his lungs. Oddly, it felt as if he hadn't taken a breath in a long time. Aching and weak, Will turned to his side; it seemed he was lying on stone or polished wood, and it was warm to the touch.  
"Hello?" he said, but it came out dry as a husk, barely more than a hissing exhale. Will cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"  
Something rustled next to him, and he heard what sounded like a sigh. After a moment, a voice rose out of the dark.  
"Will?"  
"Hannibal! Where are you?" He reached out but all his fingers found was more of the smooth surface upon which he lay. "Hannibal?"  
It was a few seconds before the reply came, still weak but louder than before.  
"I'm here, Will." Something warm touched his hand. Hannibal's strong fingers closed around Will's, and Will breathed a sigh of relief. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to make out Hannibal's face to no avail.  
"Where are we?" he asked.  
"I don't know. Can you see, Will, or have I gone blind?"  
"No, I can't see anything," replied Will, sliding himself closer to Hannibal. Sitting up seemed like an impossible, Herculean task; he could barely move his limbs. He felt along Hannibal's chest, fingers sliding up the firm pec covered with soft, curling hair, and realized that the man wasn't wearing anything. Will frowned. He was also naked. Slowly, he lifted his hand to Hannibal's face, the strong jaw, sharp cheekbone--things that were so familiar in the light were rendered strange landscapes in the total darkness. Hannibal hitched a relieved breath and pulled Will into an embrace, belly to belly. Will shuddered in Hannibal's arms--he felt so good against him. Though they might be captured, injured, or lost, at least they had this.  
Suddenly the surface beneath them began to glow. At first, it was barely more than a candle's worth, but it steadily increased until a golden, hazy light surrounded them.  
"Welcome, gentlemen," said a voice from above. Will blinked, his eyes dazzled by the light, and tried to see who was standing over them.  
"Where are we?" asked Will, his voice still painfully hoarse.  
Hannibal's fingers clutched his shoulder, possessive or protective, and Will felt him tense.  
The shadowy figure stepped closer, and Will saw that it was a bearded man in a slim, well-cut black suit with a bright white shirt open at the neck. Will felt his face grow hot, thinking about how he was lying on the floor naked, clinging to another naked man.  
"You're in Hell," said the handsome man, squatting to rest his forearms on his thighs, hands clasped loosely between his knees. He smiled down at Will and Hannibal. "I brought you two out of storage because I need your help. Apologies if you feel a bit fuzzy in the head--you'll remember things soon enough."  
Will wrinkled his brow, trying to parse the man's words.  
"Hell? What are you saying?"  
"Will, I don't think we survived," Hannibal murmured. He wrapped his hand around the back of Will's neck, the touch soothing him.  
_Survived? Survived what?_  
Licking his lips, Will shook his head, some dark memory in his mind rising to the surface. "I... don't..." He closed his eyes and shuddered--his muscles and bones felt holed through, gritty and dry with rot, but it was nothing compared to the black sticky mess of his mind. Will knew that if he tried hard enough, he would remember, but he didn't want to rip the scab off to see the horror beneath.  
"To be more precise," said the stranger, pointing to Hannibal as he addressed Will. "I need _him_. You're not even supposed to be here."  
"I... died. We died. No, I can't. Hurts," mumbled Will, confused.  
Hannibal made a soothing sound--the kind one made to an injured animal or a distraught child--and pressed his lips to Will's temple. Then, with a grunt of pain, Hannibal began to move, shifting the both of them slowly until they were sitting up on the glowing floor, Will still wrapped in Hannibal's arms.  
"Water," said Hannibal.  
Will opened his eyes when a cold glass touched his lips. He hadn't heard anyone move, but Hannibal held a cut-glass tumbler filled with clear liquid in his hand. When the water slid over his tongue, Will couldn't believe how fresh and pure and almost sweet it was. In a moment he'd finished the glass, wishing there was more. As if by magic, the glass was full again. He drank it down quickly; Will couldn't remember ever having tasted anything so good before.  
"Better?" Hannibal asked quietly. Will nodded, but when the glass disappeared from his hand, he shut his eyes again with a gasp. It was too much. He felt like he would fall if it weren't for Hannibal.  
"Sleep, Will," whispered Hannibal as he smoothed back Will's hair. Sleep... Yes, sleep sounded good. As he drifted off, he heard Hannibal address the stranger.  
"I remember you, Lucifer."  
  


+++  
  


When Will woke up some time later, he was curled on his side on a very soft mattress, a silky blanket covering him to the waist. He squinted, trying to get his bearings. The dimly lit room didn't look familiar. Then he remembered the strange man and the glowing floor, and his heart began to pound. Will glanced around, but Hannibal wasn't in bed with him. Panic set in. Was he having a psychotic break?  
Movement caught his eye. He saw a figure at the window and recognized Hannibal's straight-backed posture, the broad shoulders tapering down to a trim waist and narrow hips. The older man stood with his back to Will, his long legs slightly apart, the pale moonlight beyond outlining his black silhouette in a gentle shimmer of silver.  
"Hannibal?" whispered Will, sitting up. Memories of pain and weakness, fear and confusion touched him but didn't leave their mark. _Just a nightmare._  
Hannibal turned at the sound of his name and came towards Will, walking in the graceful, unhurried manner that he had. Hannibal was a man who moved through space like a shark slid through dark waters--both majestic and terrifying, you were compelled to keep looking for fear of what happened when you let your gaze drop.  
Will grinned. Sure, Hannibal was terrifying, but Will inhabited a unique space in the killer's mind: they understood each other. Nothing could break that bond.  
_Not even death._  
The smile slipped a notch, but when Hannibal sank down on the mattress next to Will, he felt his confidence return.  
"I'm sorry, Will. Did I wake you?" he asked, a quiet smile on his captivating face. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and he reached out to take one of Will's hands. For some reason, it felt like a reunion, though Will couldn't remember the last time they'd been apart.  
"No. I think a dream woke me. Something about... Hell," replied Will, squeezing Hannibal's hand. Hannibal's lips bowed further in amusement, his expression mischievous.  
"Oh? Was I there?"  
"You were. And a man... I think he was supposed to be the Devil. He said"--Will frowned, the dream memory just filmy cobwebs--"something. I can't recall."  
"Just a dream," said Hannibal with a nod. "Like you said."  
"Yeah," agreed Will and he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair, trying to tame the wild, cowlicky mess. "You're right."  
However, Will caught something in the man's eyes that looked strangely like satisfaction for a moment, then it was gone, replaced by the fond gaze Hannibal regularly shone on him.  
"Where are we?" Will asked, tearing his eyes away from the enigmatic smile. The room was vast and airy with pale walls and dark indiscernible paintings. The window was floor to ceiling and took up almost the entire far wall; the gauzy white curtain billowed into the room with a breath of wind before it sighed out again. Will thought he could smell the sea. "Why don't I remember anything?"  
Hannibal furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue softly, pressing the back of his hand to Will's forehead to check his temperature.  
"You've been very sick," he explained. "You picked up a parasite that caused your brain to swell. Your previous injury made you more susceptible... I'm sorry, Will, but there is some damage."  
"Damage?" repeated Will, alarm causing his pulse to spike. "What kind of damage?"  
Instead of replying, Hannibal pulled back the cool sheet, sliding into place next to Will. Hannibal was dark against the white bedding, his skin warm and soft when he pulled Will into his arms.  
"My love," Hannibal murmured, his lips finding the sensitive spot under Will's ear to send a shiver through him. "Your memories are affected, but it remains to be seen whether it is permanent. You ask me the same questions every night, Will. And every night I tell you the same: you are at _home_. Our home. It pains me so much that you remember nothing of the last year. We've shared so much... I should have spotted the signs of your illness sooner, taken action immediately. The damage is my fault."  
Will shook his head slowly, confused. "I'm sure you did what you could..." Hannibal sounded honestly contrite, but Will doubted it, assuming it to be part of his usual performance. However, he didn't doubt whatever it was that had happened to him had troubled Hannibal at least a little. If there was anything in the world that could arouse Hannibal's stunted sense of worry, it was danger to Will.  
Will slid his hand down Hannibal's back, tilting his head up to give the man more access to his neck. In response, Hannibal let out a breathy growl, and nipped at Will's throat, pulling their bodies firmly together with a strong hand gripping Will's backside. Will could feel Hannibal hardening along the line of his pelvis.  
"I... wish I could remember," Will sighed, his eyes closing as Hannibal's tongue traced a meandering path up the side of his neck. His breath caused another shiver to prickle Will's skin, making his nipples stiffen in response as he pressed up against the furry chest, wanting more. He raked Hannibal's back with his fingers, inciting another lusty growl from the older man.  
Bad dreams, brain damage, lost memories, missing time... Familiar and not, and all of it swept aside by his burning need for Hannibal when he claimed his mouth in a fierce kiss.  
Will died every time he allowed his full love for Hannibal to break through and consume him, suffering an unholy rebirth as the monster's depraved equal. They were both damned, but Will paid for it dearly; lover, soulmate, accomplice, counterpart... he deliberately fed his humanity into Hannibal's yawning, greedy void in return for the soaring, addictive freedom Hannibal alone could give him.  
Hannibal broke the kiss and his low voice purred: "On your belly, now, like a good boy. Show me what's mine."  
With a pathetic, desperate whimper, Will turned over on the bed and spread his thighs, reaching back to grasp his buttocks, pulling them apart. It took only seconds for Hannibal to prime his cock and mount him, pushing his greased length deep into Will.  
Stifling a cry, Will forced himself to accept the pain and welcome it. Hannibal could be kind, but it was his cruelty that Will had learned to expect, and sometimes being _taken_ rather than loved felt more honest.  
However, after only a few hard thrusts, Hannibal slowed and finally let his weight settle on Will. Furry belly pressed to Will's lower back with one arm looped under Will's chest, Hannibal began to fuck him at a languid pace. Will groaned with pleasure, the flared head of Hannibal's thick cock finding exactly the right place inside him.  
"You remember this," said Hannibal, his voice husky. "You remember how I can make you feel. The rest is unimportant."  
Of course it was. Will huffed out a shaky breath and nodded.  
Yet, when Hannibal turned Will's head to continue kissing him while he cocked him deep from behind, Will couldn't help but feel again something strange about the way Hannibal sighed, as if in relief... as if he had missed Will.  
But that made no sense.  
However, when Will's pleasure peaked moments later, and he came hard with Hannibal fully rooted and groaning through his own climax, he knew the only thing that truly mattered was that they were together, regardless of whatever it was Hannibal was keeping from him.  
  


+++

  
  
Hannibal looked down at Will's sleeping face and smiled, letting his fingers lightly trace the stubbled curve of his jaw.  
_How I missed you._  
Looking up, he wrinkled his brow at the man sitting next to the bed. Satan, the Devil, Lucifer--Hannibal and The Father of Lies had gotten to know each other quite well over the century of his Hellish incarceration.  
"Satisfied?" asked the man in the trim, expensive looking suit.  
Will had unwittingly followed Hannibal into Hell after their deaths, somewhere the broken, sensitive young man had no business being, but no one had been able to unlink the two of them. And, while the Devil had subjected Hannibal to every torture imaginable, Will had slept in a dreamless state. Even once Hannibal had been declared unredeemable, and put into stasis where he was to remain for eternity, they had denied his request to see Will one last time.  
Then, when the war between Heaven and Hell had come to a head, and grisly talents like Hannibal's were in demand, Lucifer had also thawed Will, knowing he'd need some leverage. The Devil's deal was simple: in return for Hannibal's full help in recruiting souls to the cause, Lucifer would make adjustments to Will's memories--he would never know they'd died or had spent over a century in Hades' dungeons.  
"I'm satisfied as long as whatever you've done to him doesn't cause him to unravel," Hannibal finally replied.  
The Devil began to laugh, and, wiping the resulting tears from his eyes, shook his head as he tried to contain his mirth.  
"Darling," Lucifer said, still chuckling. "That is _rich_ coming from you, considering all the unravelling you're responsible for. That poor boy..." Lucifer let loose with anther peal of laughter, and Hannibal clenched his jaw, dropping his gaze to his sleeping lover. Will's eyes rocked back and forth beneath his lids as he lay dreaming.  
Lucifer was right... but things had changed.  
Overhearing his thoughts, the Devil snorted in amusement.  
"Oh Hannibal, how very sweet and in love you think you are, but no... things haven't changed. _You_ haven't changed... can't change, and that is a _fact_."  
Hannibal glanced up as the Devil stood, and he shook his head.  
"You think you know me, but you don't," he said in a low voice.  
Lucifer adjusted his right shirt cuff, one dark brow quirked up.  
"How long will it take before you're up to your old head games, hm? A month? A week? Tomorrow?" mused Lucifer with a cheeky grin. "Let's say... a month. If you can go a _month_ without making that boy question his sanity, I will admit that you've changed." He held out his hand, and Hannibal stared at it silently, thinking.  
"No. If I can prove that I've changed, you'll allow us to remain here, free of your influence."  
"That undermines the whole reason I brought you back to the mortal realm," argued the Devil, but then he shrugged and extended his hand again. "But since I don't think you have a chance in Hell of winning, I accept."  
Hannibal shook Lucifer's hand and grimaced when the Devil's brand seared his palm.  
"Good luck," said the deviously young-looking man with a wink as he faded out of sight. "You'll need it."  
Hannibal startled at the sound of Will's voice.  
"Who the hell was that?" Will asked, blinking sleepily.  
"No one," replied Hannibal, getting back under the covers. "Go back to sleep."  
Curling up on his side, he hugged Will's slight frame against his chest and kissed the back of his neck.  
He could change; he already had, hadn't he?


End file.
